Sports, December 27th

The Colorado Avalanche take the ice in Chicago tonight to battle the Blackhawks.

BRONCOS VISIT THE “BLACK HOLE” THIS SUNDAY

Oakland—The Denver Broncos can wrap up the AFC’s top seeding with a win this Sunday over the Raiders in Oakland in the regular season finale.

BRONCOS’ 2014 OPPONENTS ANNOUNCED

Englewood—The Broncos will visit some of the NFL’s most hostile environments next season while hosting a handful of tough teams. The Broncos’ road schedule includes showdowns with the Jets, Patriots, Seahawks, Rams and Bengals. Teams coming to the Mile High City include the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers. Those games are in addition to the usual home and away contests with AFC West opponents. Actual dates and game times will be announced after the draft in April.

ELSEWHERE IN SPORTS….

IRVING, Texas (AP) – Tony Romo had back surgery and will miss Dallas’ third straight season finale with the NFC East title and a playoff berth on the line. Coach Jason Garrett said Romo underwent surgery Friday after consultation with doctors during the week following his injury in a win over Washington. Kyle Orton will start for the Cowboys in the winner-take-all game against Philadelphia on Sunday night. Romo lost the past two winner-take-all finales – to the New York Giants two years ago and Washington last season. He also lost to the Eagles in the same situation in 2008. Philadelphia (9-6) is trying to complete a worst-to-first turnaround from a 4-12 season under first-year coach Chip Kelly. The Cowboys (8-7) want to end a three-year playoff drought.

UNDATED (AP) – Marshall takes a 9-4 record into the Military Bowl against 7-5 Maryland as the feast of bowl games continues. That is followed by the Texas Bowl which features 8-4 Minnesota against 6-6 Syracuse and the Fight Hunger Bowl pitting BYU and Washington in a battle of 8-4 teams.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant leads Oklahoma City into Charlotte tonight as the Thunder tries to regain a share of the best record in the league. OKC has won 10 of its last 11 games and heads into tonight’s play trailing Portland by a half-game for the league lead.

SACRAMENTO (AP) – Newly crowned AP Male Athlete of the Year LeBron James and the Miami Heat take their holiday road show into Sacramento tonight. Miami has won six in a row and hasn’t lost against a Western Conference team in the last 19 games.

CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping the NHL’s three-day holiday break hasn’t cooled them off when they host Colorado. Chicago has won six of its last eight and could jump past idle Anaheim for the best record in the league with a win over the Avalanche.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – NHL scoring leader Sidney Crosby leads NHL Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh into action on the road against Carolina tonight. Crosby has 54 points including 20 goals, and has recorded at least a point in 31 of the Penguins 39 games this season.